Montrose police officer involved in two shootings in less than two months

MONTROSE, Colo. According to our partners at the Montrose Daily Press, Sgt. Tim Cox was one of the officers involved in a shooting Sunday night - making it his second shooting in less than two months.

The Daily Press reports Cox and officer Levi Kroschel both opened fire Sunday night when they reportedly saw a man bending down and coming up with a rifle.

In addition to Sunday night's incident, Cox was also involved in a shooting last month. On July 14th, he shot a trespass suspect who allegedly aimed a shotgun at him.

That incident is still being investigated; however, Cox was cleared to return to work in accordance with agency policy.

Earlier in the evening on Sunday they responded to a home in the Cimarron Creek subdivision for a reported disturbance and to check on the welfare on a 42-year-old man.

Police Chief Tom Chinn told the Daily Press that family members believed they had removed all weapons from the home.

Chinn also said that preliminary investigation results indicate that both officers saw the man coming up with a rifle; the officers declared who they were and yelled commands before Cox fired through the window and Kroschel shot down the hallway.

They then rendered aid while medical teams arrived to transport the man for treatment of at least one gunshot.

The man's ID is not being released at this time, but he was later taken to a hospital in Grand Junction. Information on his condition has not been released.

The 7th Judicial Critical Incident Team is investigating the officer-involved shooting, but Chinn told the Daily Press that so far appears that use of force was justified.

Cox is once again on paid leave, and so too is Kroschel, in accordance with agency policy.

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Nick moved to Grand Junction in March 2013, but he?s lived in Colorado for most of his life. Growing up in Louisville, he went to college right down the street at the University of Colorado in Boulder.